Dear Horse Lover,
You would not be receiving this e-mail if you had not signed up to get information about Field of Dreams Horse Rescue and Adoption, which means you love horses and are concerned for their well-being.
The information below was issued to the IL General Assembly on March 9th. It is a horrible fact that they are trying to reopen the slaughter house in DeKalb. I urge you to please write or call your state representative to vote "NO" on HB 583 and Amendment #001.
We would never accept blood money from the suffering of horses to help those in our care. If the legislation wants to help horses, instead of charging someone $25 for cruelly destroying a horse, let them charge the breeders $100 for every horse they register and give that money to the rescues.
The "over population" of horses in our country is happening due to humans. It did not happen due to horses breeding on their own. It seems that the breeders should be held accountable. So please, write a letter to your representatives and send it to every representative on the attached list. Click on link below for representatives addresses.
Please help the horses that need us to raise our voices for them.
Sue Balla
President of Field of Dreams Horse Rescue & Adoption
Illinois Equine Welfare Organizations
Unite to Denounce Proposed Repeal of Horse Slaughter Ban
Wilmington, IL (March 9, 2009) - In a joint statement issued today to the Illinois General Assembly, Illinois-based equine rescue organizations announced their united opposition to pending legislation that would repeal the state ban on horse slaughter enacted in 2007.
The Illinois Equine Humane Center (Wilmington),
C.A.N.T.E.R. (Northern Illinois),
Field of Dreams Horse Rescue & Adoption (St. Charles),
Hooved Animal Humane Society (Woodstock),
Mid America Horse Rescue (Millstadt), and the
Society for Hooved Animals Rescue and Emergency (Champaign) are united in our opposition to HB 583 or any other attempt to re-establish horse slaughter in Illinois," said Gail Vacca, President of the Illinois Equine Humane Center.
"It is very disturbing that those seeking to profit from the sale of horsemeat are once again trying to bring this cruel industry back to our state, and even more disturbing is the proposed "blood-money" amendment that has been offered to this bill," added Vacca.
The amendment calls for a fee of $25 to be charged to the slaughterhouse for each horse slaughtered. The results of which would then be placed into a fund for eventual distribution to equine rescues for use in expanding their operations or for use in providing care to rescued horses.
"I speak for all of us in stating that none of our equine rescue organizations would ever accept a single penny from this fund. This is blood money, pure and simple. We wish to let our legislators know that no legitimate organization dedicated to equine welfare would ever accept money to save horses that was derived from the pain and suffering of other less fortunate horses," said veterinarian and Executive Director of the Hooved Animal Humane Society, Dr. Patti Klein-Manke.
Margo Sutter, President of the Mid America Horse Rescue in Millstadt added, "if Illinois legislators are truly interested in equine welfare, we could think of a million ways they could help Illinois horses, none of which that would involve their suffering and slaughter. The proposed repeal of the horse slaughter ban and the blood-money amendment are as distasteful as they are disingenuous."
In closing their letter sent to the Illinois General assembly, the leaders of Illinois' equine welfare and rescue organizations urged Members to vote "NO" on HB 583 and Amendment #001.
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Linda Hewerdine, President - Society for Hooved Animal Rescue and Emergency
http://www.s-h-a-r-e.net/
http://www.fodhra.org/BlankPage.html
